Wisconsin Badgers Football Fall Camp Position Battles to Watch

By Mike Jodar

 

1.       Mabrey Mettauer vs Cole LaCrue – #3 Quarterback spot

    Although Cole LaCrue has been battling injuries his whole time as a Badger, it is gut check time for Cole. If Mabrey Mettauer performs well in fall camp, LaCrue may get left behind not only Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Lock but Mettauer as well for the foreseeable future.

 

2.      #3 Running Back – Jackson Acker vs. Cade Yacamelli vs. 3 highly touted incoming 2024 RBs. (4-star Dilin Jones - ESPN’s No. 6 running back in the 2024 class, 4-star Darrion Dupree, 3-star Gideon Ituka)

             Clearly, the running back position was a big point of emphasis in Luke Fickell's 2024 recruiting class. However, both Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker are seniors and are projected to be the 1-2 punch this fall.

        Who takes the reins at the running spot behind them and maybe makes their case to be the 2025 starter in the process? Both Jackson Acker (Senior) and Cade Yacamelli (Junior) are players we know what to expect from and have some experience. That said, this incoming running back class with Jones, Dupree and Ituka is about as hyped up as any class we’ve had coming into Wisconsin, which is saying something for RBU.

 

3.       Starting #3 Wide Receiver opposite Bryson Green

            Will Pauling & Bryson Green were the Badgers two most productive wide receivers last season, combining for 1,317 yards and eight touchdowns, their spots are secure, barring any injury. We can also pencil in Trech Kekahuna as the backup slot wide receiver to Pauling, (although I think we’re going to see both Kekahuna and Pauling on the field at the same time this season.) Here are the list of guys that have a legitimate shot at wide receiver three:

        Boston College Transfer Joseph Griffin Jr.: Griffin Jr. had 18 catches for 234 yds and five touchdowns in the 2022 season. Michigan State transfer Tyrell Henry: Henry had 24 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns last season. Last year's USC transfer C.J. Williams: 15 catches for 148 yards last season. Vinny Anthony: 10 catches for 99 yards last season. Quincy Burroughs: 4 catches for 30 yards last season. Christopher Brooks: Had a promising fall camp in 2023, but unfortunately ended up missing the whole season.

 

4.       Nose Tackle

             The Badgers brought in not one, but two defensive tackles in the transfer portal, in addition to highly touted 4-star nose tackle Dillan Johnson. The five names battling for that position are: Curt Neal (currently projected to start),  Jamel Howard, Elijah Hills, Brandon Lane and Dillan Johnson.

 

5.        Filling out the two deep at middle linebacker

 The most intriguing out of these five position battles is middle linebacker. The Badgers went all out in the transfer portal at this position, grabbing three transfers with the intent on looking for downhill, physical linebackers that are athletic and can tackle in space. They return one starter being Jake Chaney who had 80 total tackles last year and is currently projected as one of the starters. They also return Christian Alliegro, who played in all 13 games last season (and is getting some buzz among his teammates as a player to watch). The three transfers previously mentioned are:

-          Jaheim Thomas (currently projected as the other started at MLB) - Started all 12 games, leading Arkansas and ranking sixth in the SEC with 90 total tackles.

-          Tackett Curtis - Played in 12 games, making 8 starts, as a freshman at USC, he recorded 40 total tackles.

-          Sebastian Cheeks – North Carolina transfer, 4 star recruit who was highly pursued by the Paul Chryst staff prior to committing to North Carolina.

        Be sure to keep an eye out for news and updates about these Badgers players through the month of August. Also be sure to tune in to the Wisco Fanatics show on August 21st and 28th for all of our 2024 season notes before the first game on August 30th.

        Also, subscribe to Wisco Fanatics on Patreon to join us for two watch parties per month for Wisconsin sports teams, one of the selections for August is the Badgers opener. That show will be live with a pre-game show, we will watch the whole game with our patrons and then stick around for a brief post-game show to discuss some of our immediate takeaways.